John Lee

Discover the freedom of the open road with Lonely Planet's Canada's Best Road Trips. This trusted travel companion features 32 amazing drives, from 2-day escapes to 2-week adventures. Marvel at the Niagara Falls, spot whales in Newfoundland and sample wine on the Okanagan Valley Wine trail. Get to Canada, rent a car, and hit the road! Inside Lonely Planet's Canada's Best Road Trips: Itineraries for classic road trips plus other lesser-known...

Learn how Cyrus, the first great king of the Persian Empire, expanded the empire through pragmatic leadership. You'll see how he made use of local customs and traditions and thereby gained legitimacy over a wide territory - including central Asia and Babylon. His son Cambyses continued that method when he expanded the empire into Egypt.

Examine the war with the Greeks from the Persian perspective. After the Athenians threw a Persian herald into a pit, Darius sent his fleet across the Aegean Sea. They advanced into Greece without trouble, but at Marathon the Persian forces stumbled and were defeated by the Athenians.

As part of its administrative system, the empire created a new Persian currency. From surviving business documents, discover that while agriculture was important, wealth sometimes became concentrated in the hands of a few crafty entrepreneurs, whose financial clout presented systemic risk to the empire.

Step back and tour the five Persian capitals - Pasargadae, Ecbatana, Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis. Built in strategic, fortified locations, these cities were important symbols of power for the great kings. For instance, you'll encounter the great hall at Persepolis, which could hold 10,000 guests.

Witness the suspenseful battles between the Persians and the Macedonians, the sieges of Alexander the Great, and Darius III on the run. Alexander, arguably one of the greatest generals in history, commanded a powerful army and defeated Darius, then took on the mantle of Great King, adopting much of Persian ideology.

Expansive.., and eloquent.., at once grave and majestic. In the final volume of the 'Home' trilogy, it is 1974 and we are in the windswept territories of the southwest USA. Written with terse lyricism, and cinematic detail, and wry humor, Dirt and Snakes is a tale of the American West like no other in contemporary literature. This searing, extraordinarily evocative narrative opens with Gus Alamo, a wayfarer; a Cowboy; a seeker of all that is the open...

Discover the freedom of the open road with Lonely Planet's Pacific Northwest's Best Road Trips. This trusted travel companion features 32 amazing drives, from 2-day escapes to 2-week adventures. Cruise the Pacific Coast, the Willamette Valley and the Cascade Mountains. Get to the Pacific Northwest, rent a car, and hit the road! Inside Lonely Planet's Pacific Northwest's Best Road Trips: Itineraries for classic road trips plus other lesser-known...